The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) student chapter, in association with the IEEE Power & Energy Society (PES), IEEE Technology and Engineering Council (TEC), IEEE Microwave Theory and Techniques Society (MTT-S), IEEE Computational Intelligence Society (CIS), the Indian Society for Technical Education (ISTE) student chapter and the Silicon Innovation and Promotion Cell (SIPC), successfully organized IGNITIA 2026, the first edition of its annual technical fest, on 27 and 28 March 2026 at Silicon University, Odisha.
The primary objectives of IGNITA 2026 were to provide a comprehensive platform for students to showcase their technical, analytical, and creative skills while encouraging innovation, teamwork, and interdisciplinary learning. The event also aimed to bridge the gap between academic knowledge and real-world applications and to promote technical excellence through competitions, discussions, and presentations. In addition, it focused on developing leadership, communication, and problem-solving abilities, while enhancing student engagement through a large-scale technical fest environment. These objectives guided the design and execution of the events, ensuring participants gained both technical expertise and essential soft skills.
The inauguration ceremony was graced by eminent guests, including Shri Pradyut Mohan Dash, Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of CSM Technologies, Shri Subir Kumar Mitra, Former Executive Director of National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD), Prof. Ashok Kumar Tripathy, Advisor of IEEE Bhubaneswar Section and Former Director General of Central Power Research Institute (CPRI), and Prof. Ramaprasad Panda, Professor of Electrical and Electronics Engineering (EEE) at Silicon University. The two-day fest offered a dynamic mix of technical competitions, paper presentations, group discussions, and a LAN gaming tournament, creating a vibrant platform for innovation and student engagement.
The events conducted during the fest brought together a blend of technical expertise, innovation, and competitive spirit. On 27 March, ‘Insight Dive’, a technical paper presentation, showcased innovative research across domains such as AI, IoT, and cybersecurity, while ‘Tidal Rise’, a technical quiz competition, engaged participants through a dynamic format integrating strategy-based gameplay with technical knowledge. On 28 March, ‘Dev Reef’, a technical group discussion, emphasized communication skills, critical thinking, and industry-relevant topics. This was followed by ‘Ciphers of the Deep’, a multi-round technical competition centered on cryptography and logic-based challenges. The event series concluded with ‘Ares’ Arena’, a high-energy CODM LAN tournament that promoted teamwork, coordination, and strategic gameplay among participants.
The first edition of IGNITA 2026 at Silicon University witnessed outstanding performances across its technical events, with students from various branches and institutions competing for top honors. In the Insight Dive (Technical Paper Presentation), Rohit Kumar Dash and Ashutosh Kar, both 1st-year CSE students from Silicon University, won the first prize for their innovative research presentations. The second prize was awarded to Subhransu Satapathy (1st-year CSE, Silicon University) and Shreyas Prusty (1st-year VLSI, Silicon University), while Abhilash Praharaj, 3rd-year CST student at Silicon University, secured the third prize.
In the Tidal Rise (Technical Quiz Competition), participants demonstrated quick thinking and teamwork. The first prize was awarded to Shubham Kumar Jha (3rd-year ECE, Silicon University) and Pratham Jena (3rd-year EIE, Silicon University). Jayesh Bank (1st-year ECE, Silicon University) and Anish Kumar Dubey (1st-year CSE, Silicon University) received the second prize, while Md. Imam from SoA University won the third prize, showcasing a diverse and competitive pool of participants.
The Dev Reef (Technical Group Discussion) tested analytical reasoning and communication skills. Kanhaiya Choudhary, 3rd-year CSE student of Silicon University, won the first prize, followed by Abhilash Praharaj (3rd-year CST, Silicon University) with the second prize, and Swayanshu Swain (3rd-year CSE, Silicon University) winning the third prize, highlighting their strong articulation and collaborative discussion skills.
In the Ciphers of the Deep (Capture the Flag Competition), Aditi Anshika (2nd-year ECE) and Dibyanshy Biswal (2nd-year CSE, Silicon University) claimed the first prize, while Divyanshu Ranjan (1st-year CSE, Silicon University) received the second prize. The third position was shared by Asutosh Pradhan (2nd-year EIE), Milan Patra (2nd-year CSE), and T. Mihir Patra (2nd-year EEE), all from Silicon University.
Finally, the Ares’ Arena (CODM LAN Tournament) brought high-energy esports competition to the campus. The first prize was awarded to the team comprising Jeevan Jyoti Panigrahi (3rd-year CST, Silicon University), Susanta Kumar Rout (SoA University), Ayush Chowdhury (SoA University), Akshay Anand (C. V. Raman Global University), and Soubhagya Ranjan Parida (KIIT University). The second prize was won by Shubham Patra, Soubhagya Bardhan Swain, Rounak Pattnaik, Piyush Ranjan Rout, and Pratyush Kumar Khauta (all from Birla Global University), while Akshay Anand from C. V. Raman Global University was recognized as the most valuable player for his exceptional performance.
The fest concluded with a valedictory ceremony attended by Shri Swapnesh Pattnaik, Vice President-Manufacturing at Luminous, Mr. M. Kunal, Founder & CEO of LozicZap NextGen Technologies, Prof. Chinmoy Kumar Panigrahi, Vice-Chair of IEEE Bhubaneswar Section, and Dr. Sudhansu Mohan Biswal, Faculty-In-Charge, SIPC, Silicon University. IGNITIA 2026 successfully fulfilled its objectives by promoting technical innovation, collaborative learning, leadership, and student engagement. The event provided a competitive yet supportive platform for participants to excel in technical knowledge, teamwork, and creative problem-solving, marking a highly impactful and memorable first edition of the fest.
